We've included a quote from one of our visitors that sums up how we feel about making the decision, some of your thoughts about the new 5 in 1 vaccine and a site that provides information about single MMR vaccines.

Your views and comments

When my first daughter was born, my husband and I read loads about MMR and really thought deeply about the risks etc before deciding to let her have the triple vaccine. So for my second daughter, the decision was already made for us and she had the MMR vaccine when she was 15 months old (as soon as she was well, healthy and free from colds etc). However, 6 weeks later, she contracted encephalitis, was in a coma for 3 weeks, in hospital for 3 months, and eventually came home unable to see, move, or communicate in any way. We had to fee her through a nasogastric tube and were warned that her brain had sustained widespread damage and could remain severely mentally and physically disabled. Now, noone has ever siad that the MMR vaccine is in any way to blame. A cause has never been found for the encephalitis, but the possibility is definitely there. HOWEVER, the main thing I would like to highlight to everyone is not whether to have the MMR or not, that is for each person to think about and decide, but to be aware of how devastating can be the effects of encephalitis. Apparently fewer than one in a million children get encephalitis from MMR vaccine, but IF your child gets measles, then the chances of developing encphalitis is between one in 200 and one in 5000. So there are wider issues than the diseases themselves, but the side effects that may be more likely to happen. Thankfully, our daughter is proving her doctors wrong, and 2 years on, she is a very happy, healthy girl. She has learning and communication disabilities and behavioural problems due to her brain damage, and she is not the girl she would have been without the encephalitis, but she's here with us and we are very lucky.

Lorna

"My friends baby has had 2 lots of jabs now, Jenny is 4 months old, after the jabs (5 in 1) she developed very smelly poos, sulphurous and her tummy is upset a lot and she does'nt sleep well. This has happened both times now, she is still being breast fed. The mother has told the doctor but he refuses to believe it is anything to do with the jabs. The mother is a bit worried that lasting damage will be the case, what can she do?"

"All the scare and controversy over MMR had me worried enough to delay my daughter's jab. I read everything I could get my hands on about it, asked other mums, talked to my health visitor, searched all over the internet for information from Britain and other countries. In the end, I decided the dangers of NOT protecting her with the MMR jab far out-weighed the possible side affects of the jab. As frightening as the allegations were about serious side affects, there just wasn't any hard evidence, at least not that convinced me."

Your views on the new 5 in 1 vaccine

"The 5 in one vaccine may well be safe for the majority of children the same as the MMR is. However, it will still be detrimental to a small number of children who have sensitive immune systems. This will result in some children being needlessly damaged by the vaccine when it would be easily avoided by allowing those children to have single jabs.

My son who is now 9 is autistic due to the MMR vaccine. Years ago I was warned not to allow my elder two children to have the Whooping Cough jab due to my numerous allergies. Why couldn't I have been advised the same with regard to the MMR? Instead, he had a reaction to it within a matter of days, with severe vomiting, measles rash and fever and changed from that moment onwards. I have heard all the excuses put forward by the Dept of Health and they are all nonsense. While they refuse to examine these children clinically, then there is something they are afraid of. Also, the Government forced the MMR court case to be stopped by withdrawing the childrens' Legal Aid. If they were so convinced the MMR was safe what better way than to allow the case to go ahead and prove it in Court? I rest my case."

Susan

"My baby is due at the end of November so she will be eligible for the 5 in 1 vaccine. I feel that she will be a guinea pig as she will be one of the first to have it. I am very worried about the new vaccine - when will we hear about the problems associated with this one?"

Dawn

"The 5 in 1 vaccine has been administered in other countries for a long time. Friends of mine in Ireland say that is it common usage over there and there has been no adverse reports about it in the press. I am glad that I live in a country where the medical profession are very strict about doing their own trials into drugs before releasing them onto the market here but I get fed up with the fact that the press jump on every little hint of a problem and blow it up out of all proportion and start a nationwide panic. It is irresponsible and I would like to hear a more balanced, scientifically based argument for and against the 5 in 1 vaccine before I condemn or accept it. I'd also like to hear from the countries that have been using it for a while and what their experiences are.

My daughter is due to have her third set of immunisations in a couple of weeks time (she'll be four months old). I have been quite happy for her to have the two jabs (i.e. DTP-Hib and MenC) and polio drops as currently administered by the NHS. Some of my friends were horrified that I was doing this instead of having the DTP-Hib vaccine administered privately as separate jabs. I understand that you can have whooping cough administered separately because apparently it is dangerous to let your baby have the DTP-Hib vaccine. No one could tell me exactly why it is dangerous. One parent said that they had the vaccines done separately because when the whooping cough vaccine is combined into this vaccine it hurts the baby more!

My opinion is that if I have a medical query I ask a medical person and do my own research in medical sources. I don't believe everything I read in newspapers. Very often the articles we read in the newspapers are based on small, inconclusive research studies and you are only getting the edited highlights of the study. You read the journalist's slant on the story - not the full facts. I have known so many babies who had the combined vaccines and have grown up normal. In fact, of all the people I know I am the only person who has had a reaction to any baby vaccinations. I reacted to my polio vaccination (don't panic it was over 30 years ago and the vaccine is administered differently now). I know that the chances of reacting to the polio vaccine is 1 in 1.5 million. The legacy of my reacting to this vaccine is that I have problems with my lower back and my right leg. It is nothing too debilitating and regular yoga means I lead as full and active a life as anyone else. It never made me consider for one moment not having my daughter vaccinated. I have been to South America and seen first hand the dreadful situation for people who don't have access to childhood vaccinations. The outcome is a lot worse than being exposed to small amounts of mercury, believe me"

Mags

Single vaccines

www.dh2.co.uk provides information about single MMR vaccinations and details of clinics where these can be obtained around the country.

Anyway, our view is to make an informed decision. It may not be the same decision as your neighbour's but it will be the decision that you think is best for your child. There is no one source of information that gives you all you feel you need to know so look around and make your own informed choice.